Airship



Dec. 3, G w TURNER 1,741,446 AIRsHIP Filed May 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor 6- W. Jim/762;

Attarnqy Dec. 31, 1929.

s w. TURNER 1,741,446

AIRSHIP- Filed y 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor Dec. 31, 1929. a! w. TURNER AIRSHIP Filed May 5, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet :513? K I I Inventor Dec. 31, 1929. G. w. TURNER 1,741,446

AIRSHIP Fi-led May 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor Attarnqy Dec. 3], 1929. w, TURNER 1,741,446

AIRSHIP Attormy Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNITED STATES GEORGE W. TURNER, OF EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, MISSOURI AIBSHIP Application filed May 5, 1928. Serial No. 275,366.

The present invention relates to an airship and has for its prime object to provide certain new and useful improvements in a device of this character whereby the airship is always under the quick control of the aviator an adapted to be used for commercial purposes for transportinggoods, packages, etc., from place to place.

Another very important object of the invention is to so improve the construction of airships of this nature that the machine may be caused to ascend to any desired height, to run horizontally or in any desired angle, may be caused to come down and land without difficulty, will be stable in the air and readily guided in any direction and in fact, to so improve airships that they will perform all the operations necessary for a practical and efficient use of this character.

v Another very important object of the invention resides in the provision of an airship of this nature which is comparatively simple in its construction, inexpensiveto manufacture considering the proposed size thereof, strong and durable, economical, efficient and reliable I in operation, compact and convenient in 1ts arrangement of parts and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is designed.

With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in certain nove features of construction, and in the combination and arrangement of arts as will be hereinafter more fully descri ed and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the airship embodying the features of my invention,

Figure 2 is a a top plan view thereof,

therethrough, I

Figure 4 is a plan view of the mam frame,

view at theupper portion of, the conduit lead- I ing to the bag,

(1 of concentric formation connected together Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section Figure 8 is a plan view of an operating means used for the circulatmg fan.

Referring to the drawings in detail it will be seen that numerals 5 and 6 denote frames at intervals as at 7. A fuselage 8 is disposed below the frames 5 and 6 being connected thereto by uprights 9. These uprights 9 extend down below the fuselage 8 and have landing wheels 10 journaled thereon by any suitable means 11, said means 11 being resiliently mounted as is indicated at 12. r

The frames 5 and 6 are braced to properly distribute strains and stresses as is clearly indicated in Figure 4. A self sustaining bag 14 preferably constructed of light sheet metal is lnounted on top of the upper frame 5. This 4 bag 14 tapers toward its ends and has a flat bottom. The bag is constructed with an opening 15 in the top thereof with a hinged closure 16 operable by suitable means 17.

The bag is further provided with an opening to receive the upper end of a conduit 18 which rises through the fusela c. This conduit terminates below the fusefiige and has a furnace 19 at the lower end thereof carried by bracket structure 20 fixed to the bottom of the fuselage.

A blow torch 21 or the like extends into the furnace 19 so that air may be permitted to rise through the co'nduit and collect in the 1 bag 14. A pair of internal combustion engines are shown at 22 and 23 and the exhaust pipes 24 leading therefrom enter the conduit 18 immediately above the bottom of the fuselage, Figure 6.

A valve 25 is provided in the conduit 18 for shutting off the exhaust gases or the air means heated by torch 21. The hot air or hot gases or both collecting in the bag lighten the bag 0 and assist in the raising of the machine.

Propellers 26 are mounted at the ends of the frame 5 on a shaft 28 journalled in the frame 5 and cross members 29 of said frame.

' The internal combustion engine 22 drives the shaft 28 through a chain and sprocket mechanism 30. Horizontal propellers 31 are mounted on the lower ends of the shafts32 journalled in the frames 5 and 6.

One of these propellers is located forwardly and one rearwardly beyond the ends of the fuselage 8. The shafts 32 are driven by the shafts 35 through gearing 36. The shafts 35 are driven through gearing 37 and 39 by a shaft 40 operatively connected with engines 22 and 23 through transmission mechanism 41, and 42 geared to the shaft as at 43.

A shaft 45, Fi ure 7, is j ournaled in a bra iret 46 to extend down into the conduit 18 and has fan propeller blades 47 on the lower end thereof. A chain and sprocket mechanism 48 operatively connects the shaft with a shaft 39' so that the blades 47 assist in sucking up the hot gases through the conduit into the bag 14. The shaft 39 is connected by gearing 40 with the shaft 40. In order to assist in elevating the airship,,a plurality of elevators 50 are provided which extend laterally from the frames 5 and 6, preferably two on each side.

These elevators are in the form of wings rockably mounted on the frame structure and controlled by cranks 52, links 53 and levers v54. A pair of rudders 55 are hingedly mounted on the frame structure one at eac end thereof and at each side thereof and are controlled by cranks 56, links 57 and levers 58.

A laterally disposed frame 60 is supported transversely of the center of the frames 5 and 6 and has shafts 61 journaled vertically in the ends thereof with propellers 62 on the lower ends thereof. are driven by gearing 63, shafts 64 and gearing 65.

Gearing 65 is operated by the shaft 40. When the engines are operated the helicopter propellers 31 and 62 may be brought into operation by driving mechanism thus lifting the airship from the ground and the exhaust gases from the engine may be utilized to fill the bag 14.- with hot gases thereb lightening the airship so as to make the li ting thereof more easy.

7 When it is desired to move forwardly which is accomplished obviously, b the propellers 26 which may be operated y the engine 22 in the manner explained. A slight difference in elevation may be attained merely by changing the angles of the elevator win s 50.

T 1e steering can be easily accomplished by proper manipulation of the rudders 55 as will be hereinafter quite apparent. When the airship is to be started with no hot gases in the bag 14 it is preferable to use the torch 21 to hasten the storage of hot air in this bag. It will be obvious that when it is desired to descend the valve or closure 16 may be readily opened while the hot air or I gases escape from the bag .14. a

It is thought that the construction, utility,

operation and advantages of this invention will now be quite apparent to those skilled in thisart without a more detailed description thereof.

. These propellers The present embodiment of the invention has been disclosed in detail merely by way of example since in actual practice it attains sirable in the statement of the invention and the above description.

It will be apparent that changes in the details of construction, and in the construction and operationof parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In an airship of the class described,-a lifting structure, a bag on the lifting structure, and propellin means, internal combustion enginemeans or operating said propelling means, and means for delivering the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine means to the bag to fill the same with: hotgases and air to lighten the airship, and a furnace connected with said-last mentioned means, a fan locatedin said means-for delivering gases to the bag, and means operatively connecting the bag with the internal combustion engine means.

-2. In an airship of the class described, a lifting structure, a bag on the lifting structure, and propelling means, internalcombustion engine means for operating said propelling means, and means for delivering the exhaust gases of the internal combustion en- 'ine means to the bag to fill the same with iot gases and air to lighten the airship, and a furnace connected with said last mentioned means, a fan located in said means for delivering gases to the bag, and means operatively connecting the bag with the internal combustion engine means, and valve means associated with said means for conveying said gases to the bag.

3. In an airship of the class described, a lifting structure, a bag on the lifting structure, and propelling means, internal combustion engine means for operating said propolling means, and means for delivering the exhaust gases of the internal combustion engine means to the bag to fill the same withhot gases and air to lighten the airship, and a furnaceconnected with said last mentioned means, a fan located in said means for delivering gases to the bag, and means operatively connecting the bag with the internal combustion engine means, and valve means associated with said means for conveying said gases to the bag, said propellin means including vertical and horizontally isposed propellers.

In testimony whereof I affix my si ature.

' GEORGE W. TURi ER.

. the features of advantage enumerated as de- 

